Flow regulator



Aug. 18, 1942. B. H. JOHNSTON ,293,

- FLOW REGULATOR Filed Oct. 16, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l 'gi.

INVEN TOR.

Aug. 18, 1942.

B. H. JOHNSTON FLOW REGULATOR Filed Oct. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 18, 1942 FLOW REGULATOR Burrell Harry Johnston,-Tunica,Miss.

Application October 16, 1941, Serial No. 415,315

2 Claims.

This invention aims to provide a simple but eiiective mechanism forgoverning hydraulic pressure supplied to a press, the device embodyingnovel features whereby the regulator proper may be made self-cleaning.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the presentinvention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. 1

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows, in vertical section, a device constructed in accordancewith the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a casing C, includingablock-like body I, having a recess 2 at its lower end, into which isthreaded an inlet pipe 3. On one side, the body I has a transverserecess 4, communication being established between the recesses, by meansof a port 5. A valve seat 6 is formed at the inner end of the recess 4and is in communication with a vertical bore I, closed at its lower endby a threaded plug 8.-

A valve carrier 9 is threaded to a seat in the transverse recess 4, andis supplied at its inner end with a compression gland III. A cutoffvalve II is threaded into the valve carrier 9, the gland I3 preventingleakage about the cutofi valve. The cutoff valve I I has a tapered endI2, adapted to cooperate with the seat 6. The cutoff valve II may beclosed in the event of emergency or trouble, but normally it standsopen, as shown in the drawings.

The body I is provided with a longitudinal chamber I4, of circular crosssection, the bore I being in communication with the lower part of thechamber by way of a port I5. A guide I6 is threaded into the lower endof the chamber I4 and terminates practically flush with the lowermostpart of the port I5. The guide I6 has an axial bore II, which .is ofcircular cross section.

An upper recess I8 is formed in the body I, in line with the chamber I4,the lower end of the recess being flared, as shown at I9, to permit theready entrance of hydraulic fluid into the recess. At the lower end ofthe flared part I9 of the recess I8 there is a passage 20, which isenlarged at itslower end to receive an annular valve seat 2|, the valveseat having a flared mouth 22 at its lower end.

A pressure reducer is provided, and includes a 1 body 23 of circularcross section, shaped to fit closely in the chamber I4. At its lowerend, the body 23 of the pressure reducer is supplied with a reduced stem24, received slidably in the bore I! of the guide I6. The stem 24 has asuperficial, shallow groove 25, which permits fluid to pass in and outof the bore II, when the pressure reducer is reciprocated. Althoughconsiderable has been said about the reciprocation of the pressurereducer, it is not a reciprocating structure, in the ordinary operationof the device. The pressure reducer is forced downwardly only forcleaning purposes, and through the instrumentality of a mechanism to bedescribed hereinafter.

The body 23 of the pressure regulator or reducer is equipped at itsupper end with a reduced neck 26, having a conical upper part 21,adapted to fit closely in the tapered mouth 22 ofthe valve seat 2|. Whenthe part 21 of the body 23 of the pressure regulator engages the mouth22 of the valve seat 2I, there is a space 28 between the upper end ofthe body 23 of the regulator and the upper end of the chamber 24. Inorder that the actuating liquid can pass from the space 28, through thevalve seat 2| and through the passage 20, a small, laterally inclinedgroove 29 is formed in the conical upper part 2'! of the regulator body23. The body 23 has a plurality of spiral grooves 39 in its outersurface, and the body is tapered at both ends, as shown at 3I, so thatthe actuating liquid may readily enter the lower ends of the grooves,-from the lower part of the chamber I4, and emerge from the grooves, attheir upper ends, into the space shown at 28. The body 23 of thepressure regulator has an upwardly projecting stem 32, which is taperedat its upper end, as shown at 33. The stem 32 is of less diameter thanthe passage 20.

A guide plug 34 is threaded to a seat in the upper end of the recess I8.In its lower end, the guide plug 34 carries a compression gland 35. Anopener 36 for the pressure regulator (of which the body 23 forms part)is provided, and is threaded into the guide plug 34. The gland 35prevents leakage about the opener 36. The opener 36 extends downwardlyinto the recess I8 and is provided at its lower end with a conicaldepression 31, adapted to receive the tapered upper end 33 of the stem32 of the pressure regulator. The opener 36 is provided at its upper endwith a turning head 38.

The part I of the casing C is supplied with a transverse bore 39, intowhich is threaded a valve cage 40. The valve cage 43 has a tubular innerend, in which are formed transverse openings, the openings adjacent tothe inner end of the cage being marked by the numeral 4|, and theremaining openings being marked by the numeral 42. A ball valve 43 ismounted to move in the tubular portion of the valve cage 40 and isadapted to cooperate wtih a seat 44, connected by a port 45 with thelower portion of the recess Hi.

In its upper end, the part I of the casing C has a bore 46, and theopenings 4! and 42 of the tubular part of the valve cage 40 dischargeinto the bore 46. An outlet pipe 41 is threaded into the upper part ofthe bore 46. The numeral 48 designates metallic packings, which can beused wherever necessary.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted tobe used in connection with a press of the kind employed in themanufacture of cottonseed oil, linseed oil, soy bean oil, and the like.The actuating fluid for the press enters by way of the inlet pipe 3 andmoves through the port 5, the cutoff valve 1 I being open. The actuatingliquid moves through the seat 6 into the bore 1, the liquid passing intothe lower part of the chamber l4, by way of the port E5. The pressureunderneath the body 23 of the regulator holds up the regulator, so thatthe conical upper part 21 of the neck 26 of the regulator ishermetically engaged with the mouth 22 of the valve seat 2|. Even thoughthe lower end of the opener 36 is spaced from the upper end 33 of thestem 32 of the regulator, the body 23 of the regulator does not rotate,owing to the friction between the part 21 of the regulator and thecorresponding part 22 of the. seat 2|.

The actuating liquid moves through the grooves 39 of the body 23 of theregulator, but, as hereinbefore stated, and for the reason set forth,the regulator does not rotate. The actuating liquid passes into thespace shown at 28 and flows through the groove 29 in the part 21 of theregulator neck 26.

The actuating liquid traverses the passage 24! and flowsreadily into therecess l8, especially in view of the fact that the lower portion of therecess is flared, as shown at [9. The liquid moves through the bore 45,through the openings 4| of the tubular inner end of the cage 40 andfinds an exit to the press (not shown) through the outlet pipe 41.

The ball valve 43 is moved to the left in Fig. 1 until the openings 4|are made available for the passage of pressure, and when those openingsare uncovered, there is relief enough between the port 45 and the pipe41 so that the ball.

valve does not move to the left beyond the approximate position shown.In the event of back pressure in the pipe 41, the actuating liquidenters the tubular end of the cage 48, by way of the openings 42, andthe ball valve 43 closes against the seat 44. Although there is nospring behind the ball valve 43, it does not move inwardly and come intoabutment with the cage 46 at the place indicated by the numeral 49 inFig. 1.

Occasionally it is necessary to clean out the spiral grooves 30 of theregulator body 23. When that is necessary, the regulator is moveddownwardly a little, by means. of, the opener 36, but not enough toclose the port l5, and there is always a good pressure of liquidunderneath thebody 23.0f the regulator. When the regulator is moveddownwardly, the part 21 of the regulator is spaced from the mouth 22 ofthe valve seat 2| and there is a ready flow of liquid upwardly, thegroove 29 of the regulator no longer being the only element throughwhich the liquid can pass. The liquid, having a comparatively free exitat the upper end of the neck 26 of the regulator, flows rapidly throughthe spiral grooves 30 of the regulator body 23, the body rotates, andthe grooves are cleaned out in a very short time. When the opener 36 ismoved upwardly to the position shown in the drawings, the regulator israised into the abutting engagement with the seat 2|, as depicted. Thisraising of the regulator is brought about by the pressure underneath it.

The pipe 3, the recess 2, the port 5, the bore 1 and the port l5constitute, an inlet conduit. The passage 20, the recess l8, port 45,the bore 46 and the pipe 41 constitute an outlet conduit.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a device for governing hydraulic pressure, a casing having aninlet conduit, an outlet conduit, and a chamber of circular crosssection disposed between the inlet and the outlet, a seat surface in thecasing at one end of the chamber, a regulator mounted to rotate and tomove longitudinally in the chamber, between the inlet conduit and theseat surface and having a surface engageable with the seat surface, theinlet conduit supplying pressure against the regulator, to move it intoengagement with the seat surface and to hold it against movement, meansfor maintaining a reduced flow from the inlet conduit to the outletconduit, past the regulator and through the seat, said means comprisinga superficial, spiral groove in the regulator and closed laterally bythe wall of the chamber and a groove in one of said surfaces, and meansunder the control of an operator for moving the regulator, to space itfrom the seat, thereby promoting the flow through the spiral groove andcausing the regulator to rotate.

2. In a device for governing hydraulic pressure, a casing having aninlet conduit, an outlet conduit, and a chamber of circular crosssection disposed between the inlet and the outlet, a seat in the casingat one end of the chamber, a regulator comprising a body having areduced neck, the body being mounted to rotate and to movelongitudinally in the chamber, between the inlet conduit and the seat,the inlet conduit supplying pressure against the body of the regulator,to move it until one end of the neck comes into engagement with the seatand to hold the regulator against movement, the said end of the neckhaving a groove, which is open when said end of the- 'llow. through thespiral groove and causing the regulator to rotate.

BURRELL HARRY JOHNSTON.

